President meets with AU Commission official

Nikolić noted during the meeting that "during the last year and a half Serbia created far better conditions for new investments than those that existed before, and is open to cooperation with all that recognize a common interest."

"Although EU membership is our strategic goal, we are absolutely open for cooperation with all countries in the world which recognize a common interest in that, and especially with the states with which we have traditionally friendly ties," the president said.

Speaking about the progress along the EU path, Nikolić underlined his expectation that Serbia would open entry talks in January 2014 at the latest.

Besides the strategic course toward the European Union, Serbia succeeded in further strengthening friendly ties with a great number of states, and restoring old friendships which had been unfairly and unnecessarily neglected for some period, he added.

Nikolić and Mwencha agreed on the prospects that would be opened through cooperation between Serbia and African countries.

They agreed that the partnership relation, which stems from the Non-Aligned Movement, created an opportunity to make the best use of natural resources that Africa has, improve the living standard, create jobs and bring about numerous benefits for all citizens.

Cooperation agreement in works

Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić and Deputy Chairman of the African Union Erastus Mwencha agreed in Belgrade on Monday to sign a science and technology cooperation agreement between Serbia and the African Union as soon as possible.

The two officials discussed ways of improving the cooperation between Serbia and the African Union, which has 54 member countries, according to a release from Ljajić's office.

Serbia is one of ten countries the African Union designated at its 50th Summit in Addis Ababa in May this year as extremely important for future cooperation, Mwencha stated.

The two agreed to sign a science and technology cooperation agreement between Serbia and the African Union as soon as possible, with the aim of strengthening the relations between the two sides.